AC Das, Sarvani’s grandfather, arrives in Ranchi from Orissa on Friday. Picture by Hardeep Singh

Sexagenarian A.C. Das can’t believe that his darling Nunu is no more.

Face drawn in shock, the grandfather of 13-year-old Ranchi schoolgirl Sarvani who leapt to her death on Thursday with good friend Aditya Vikrant Sharma — the 14-year-old is still battling for his life in the ICU of Gurunanak Hospital — arrived from Bargarh in Orissa on Friday morning.

“I got the call on Thursday night,” said the distraught dadaji who retired as superintendent of police in Orissa. He was standing outside his son’s residence at Samridhi Enclave at Anantpur, Nivaranpur, after attending his granddaughter’s funeral this afternoon.

Her parents and a younger brother survive Sarvani, who studied in Class VIII in St Thomas School. As news of the tragic jump by the two teenagers spread, a pall of gloom descended on the entire Anantpur area.

Neighbours of the Das family, however, refused to talk about the incident. Sarvani’s relatives, who came back after attending her funeral, were solemn.

Her grandfather, particularly, couldn’t hold back his tears. “Nunu was very close to me, we often used to talk over the phone,” he said, wiping his eyes.

“The word Nunu can’t be found in any dictionary, it was so unique and precious,” he said, adding her granddaughter was his kaleje ka tukda — closest to his heart.

“It’s shocking and unexpected,” was his only reaction when asked why the attractive and bright teenager jumped to her death from Malabar Towers on Thursday evening.

“There was no dispute, no discontentment. We are very shocked,” he said.

On the exam results, he said that he had spoken to Sarvani four days ago. “I asked about her half-yearly exam. She said accha gaya hai,” he recalled. “I told her a big gift is waiting for you after the results are declared. She sounded normal and happy,” her grandfather said.

The results would be declared on October 22.

Das is planning to visit Allahabad to perform her last rites.

“She was a fussy eater. I had to cajole her to eat healthy food,” wept the grandfather.

Standing close was Sarvani’s uncle, Vivekanand Sarangi, an LIC senior executive at Sambalpur, Orissa. He had happened to be in Ranchi when the incident happened. “She was such a normal and loving child. I can’t believe she jumped to her death,” he said.